Automatic fire extinguisher



y 1969 w. E. KREIDLER 3,446,286

AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed July 12, 1965 ATTORNEY United StatesPatent Office 3,446,286 Patented May 27, 1969 3,446,286 AUTOMATIC FIREEXTINGUISHER William E. Kreidler, Blackpoint Horseshoe, Rumson, NJ.07760 Filed July 12, 1965, Ser. No. 471,030 Int. Cl. A62c 35/02, 37/30;E04g 17/18 US. Cl. 169-26 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Thisinvention relates to an automatic fire extinguisher adapted to bedetachably suspended from an over-head support and containing a fireextinguisher fluid normally retained under pressure by an automaticsprinkler head secured to the bottom of the container and provided witha thermally controlled valve which under abnormally high temperaturewill be automatically released to discharge the contents of thecontainer in case of fire in the immediate vicinity thereof.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a fireextinguisher with an outer housing that reinforces the extinguisher towithstand high pressure tests, protects the loading valve against damagein shipping, handling and installing, and enhances the appearance of thefire extinguisher for use in homes, schools, offices and the like, andconceals the connector means between the ceiling and extinguisher.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hanger device forinstalling the fire extinguisher flush on the ceiling, that preventsvibration and oscillation of the fire extinguisher at the time ofdischarge, and facilitates attachment of the fire extinguisher to theceiling.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic fireextinguisher with a fire extinguisher head coacting with a conical fluidspreading baffle element to cause spreading of the fire extinguisherfluid over a larger area.

For further comprehension of the invention and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawing and to the appended claims in which the variousnovel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a fire extinguisher embodying myinvention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the center of thefire extinguisher of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view as seen from the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a similar View taken on the line 55 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of thesprinkler head.

'Referring now in detail to the various views of the drawing, in FIG. 1a fire extinguisher embodying my invention is indicated generally at 10and shown suspended from a ceiling 12. The fire extinguisher 10comprises a container 14 of double convex form which is preferablyconstructed of heavy gage alloy steel tested to withstand high pressure.The container 14 is constructed in two similar substantiallyconcavo-convexo sections 16 and 18 fitted one upon the other andpermanently brazed or otherwise secured together to form a fluid tightjoint. Section 16 has a curved top wall 20 and section 18 a curvedbottom wall 22.

The section 16 is provided in its top wall 20, to one side of the centerthereof, with a filling opening 24 in which is plugged a bushing 26having internal screw threads 28. The bushing is secured in position bywelding or brazing as indicated at 30. A filling or loading valve 32 ofthe ordinary Schrader type, with an externally screw threaded body 34,is threaded into the bushing 26. The body is held in position by a locknut 36. A removable cap 38 seals the outer end of the body of the valve.When the cap 38 is removed the container may be supplied with anextinguishant and be pressurized through a duct in the body of thevalve.

The section 18 is provided with a centrally located outlet opening 40which is at the lowest point on the container in the installed positionof the extinguisher. An internally screw threaded bushing 42 is fittedin the opening 40 and is secured therein by welding or brazing 44. Anautomatic fused sprinkler head 46 in general of known type including aframe 47 is screwed into the bushing 42 so as to be supported in avertical position immediately below the tank. The frame 47 has adischarge passage 49 therethrough normally closed by a valve disc 51which is held in normal closed position by a rod 53 in one end of whichis a ball 55 seated on a fusible disc 57 and abutting the closure disc51, the other end of the rod being seated in a concavity in the end of ascrew 59 threaded in the lower end of the frame 47. A pair of leafsprings 61 are interposed between the closure disc 51 and a collar 63 onthe rod 53 and are normally placed under tension when the screw 59 isadjusted to press the ball 55 against the closure disc 51. In thepassage 49 is seated a bushing 65 between which and the inner end of theclosure disc 51 is a Teflon 'O-ring 65a to provide a tight closureagainst the escape of the extinguishant from the container 14.

A diffuser or baffle element 52 is suspended from the bottom of the head46. The diffuser or baflle element is constructed of sheet metal formedto define a very wide angled frustum of a cone, of the order of 25suitably secured to the head 46, for example by a nut 69 on the screw 59so as to depend therefrom with its smaller end uppermost. The conicalsurface thus flares downwardly and outwardly.

In accordance with the present invention, the container 14 is encased ina hollow cylindrical housing 58 open at both ends and sleeved around andsecured at one end to the container by welding or in any other suitablemanner. The other end of the housing extends above the curved top wall20 of the section 16 thereby, with the top wall, defining an openchamber or recess 60 wherein the filling or loading valve 32 is locatedand protected from damage.

An important feature of the invention is the novel hanger assembly forsuspending the fire extinguisher from the ceiling 12. For this purpose,an internally threaded upstanding flanged bushing 64 is positionedcentrally on the top wall 20 of section 16 and secured thereon bywelding or brazing 66. A hanger suspension element in the form of acircular plate 68 with a central opening 70 and a downwardly extendinghub portion 72 around the opening is fastened to the ceiling 12 by meansof screws 74 passing through holes 76 formed in the plate in annularformation. The hub portion 72 is internally screw threaded and coactswith the threaded bushing 64 to receive the ends of an externally screwthreaded rod or cylinder 78. The cylinder is dimensioned and related tothe hanger suspension element, the bushing 64 and the rod 78 to permitthe top peripheral edge of the hollow housing 58 to engage the surfaceof the ceiling when the fire extinguisher is installed and therebyprovide rigidity in the extinguisher when it is installed and preventingvibration or oscillation at the time of discharge of the extinguishant.

-In operation, assuming that the container 14 has been supplied with anextinguishant such as the chemical known on the market as Du Pont Freon1301, which extinguishant has been pressurized to a pressure of 400 lbs.psi. and is adapted to be increased to approximately 1200 lbs. by heat,and that the fire extinguisher is installed in a building by beingsuspended from the ceiling 12, in operation, when the temperature of afire in the vicinity of the extinguisher reaches a point adequate tofuse the fusible disc 57, the ball 55 is released from its seat on theclosure disc so that the springs 61 displace the rod 53 laterally andpermit the extinguishant under pressure in the container to blow out theclosure disc 51 and thereby release the extinguishant from thecontainer.

It will be noted that the hollow cylindrical housing 58 serves toreinforce the fire extinguisher to withstand high pressure tests,protects the loading valve against damage in shipping, handling andinstalling, and enhances the appearance of the fire extinguisher for usein homes, schools, offices and the like, and conceals the connectormeans between the ceiling and the extinguisher.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that changes in details of constructionmight be made without departing from the principle of the invention andI desire therefore to be limited only by the state of the prior art andthe appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An automatic fire extinguisher comprising: a container having anoutlet and a loading valve at the top thereof through which thecontainer is adapted to be charged with a fluid fire extinguishant underpressure; a thermoresponsive fused sprinkler head controlling saidoutlet and adapted to release the fire extinguishant when the head issubjected to a predetermined temperature; mounting means by which thecontainer is adapted to be supported in an elevated position in a spaceto be protected, with said head disposed beneath the container so as todischarge the extinguishant downwardly and outwardly and said containerhaving a hollow cylindrical housing extending at one end above thecontainer and adapted to engage the ceiling when installed to protectthe loading valve and to conceal the mounting means between the ceilingand fire extinguisher, said mounting means including relatively 4movable parts one of which is attached to said container and another ofwhich is adapted to be secured on the ceiling, whereby said mountingmeans is adjustable to elfect tight engagement of said end of thehousing with 5 the ceiling to rigidify the extinguisher and preventvibration thereof during discharge of the extinguishant under pressure.

2. An automatic fire extinguisher comprising: a container having anoutlet at the bottom thereof and a loading valve at the top thereofthrough which the container is charged with a fluid fire extinguishantunder pressure; a thermo-responsive fused sprinkler head controllingsaid outlet and adapted to release the fire extinguishant when the headis subjected to a predetermined temperature; mounting means by which thecontainer is adapted to be supported in an elevated position in a spaceto be protected, with said head disposed beneath the container so as todischarge the extinguishant downwardly and outwardly, said mountingmeans for supporting the container in an elevated position comprising ahanger assembly including a flanged upstanding threaded bushing fastenedto the top of the container at the center thereof, and an externallythreaded rod having one end threaded in said bushing and its other endthreaded in an internally screw threaded perforated plate adapted to befastened to a. ceiling, with the addition of a hollow cylindricalhousing with one end extending around said container and fastened to theouter surface thereof, the other end of the housing extending above thecontainer and adapted to engage the ceiling when installed to protectthe loading valve and to conceal the mounting means between the ceilingand fire extinguisher, and to rigidify the extinguisher and preventvibration thereof when said upper end of the cylinder is pressed againstthe ceiling by tightening of said mounting means by rotation of saidcontainer.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS M. HENSON WOOD, JR., PrimaryExaminer.

MICHAEL Y. MAR, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. XJR.

